Manufacture of artificial fuel by distillation.



UNITED STATES Patented June 21, 1904.

PATENT QEEICE.

JOHN T. DAVIS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FUEL BY DISTILLATION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,267, dated June 21,1904.

Application filed July 1, 1901. Renewed November 28, 1903. Serial No.183,071. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theManufacture of Artificial Fuel by Distillation, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of artificial fuel, and is a newprocess by whichsuch a fuel, or a binding composition which is adaptedto subsequently form part of such a fuel, can be rapidly and cheaplymade and which results in a better product than can be produced bymethods now in use. Such prodnot also forms a part of the invention.

The essential idea or principle of my process is to mix together ahydrocarbon and carbonaceous material and to subject the mixture toheat, whereby lighter hydrocarbons are distilled off, and thus to leavea combustible residuum composed of heavier hydrocarbons and thecarbonaceous or carboniferous material in intimate union. Such residuumaccording to proportions is adapted for use either as the fuel itself oras a binding composition to form a part of a subsequentlyprepared fuel.

The process has advantages of a double nature, part of them relating tothe operation of distillation and part to the manufacture of the specialproduct. There is but one series of operations; but that operation takesthe place of several operations now required to produce a result of aninferior character.

Present practice requires a still in which the lighter hydrocarbons aredistilled off until a residuum suitable for use in a fuel is left. Thenby another process and in other apparatus this residuum must be treatedby heat to render it capable of uniting with the carboniferous material.Finally the union or mixture must be mechanically made by agitation,stirring, &c., in the presence of heat. By my new process and at oneoperation all these results are performed and bettcr performedtl1at isto say,the separation of the lighter hydrocarbons and a better and moreintimate mixture of the heavy hydrocarbons with the carbonaceous orcarboniferous material are going on simultaneously until at the end ofthe process the said separation is complete and the said mixture is alsocomplete, So much for economy in time, expense, apparatus, and labor.Further, there are great advantages in the mode of distilling inrecovering the distillates, since the carbonaceous or carboniferousmaterial tends to absorb the heavy hydrocarbons and hold them, thusallowing more rapid distillation. The mass is so subdivided that in itsatomized condition vaporization of the lighter hydrocarbons takes placemore speedily. Further, in relation to the production of a fuel thetendency to absorption referred to more thoroughly incorporates theheavy hydrocarbons with the carbonaceous or carboniferous material, andthis is of great importance, since the fuel produced is harder andfirmer.

In carrying out my process I do not limit myself to any particular kindor design of apparatus, as many different forms can be used; nor have Iconsidered it necessary for the purpose of this application toillustrate any apparatus at all, since any apparatus alluded to hereinis of a character so simple as to be readily comprehended by all skilledin the art.

In commencing my process I mix together a hydrocarbon -for instance,crude petroleum-and carbonaceous or carboniferous material, preferablyin a finely-divided condition. In making this mixture the proportionsdepend upon the character and quality of the carbonaceous orcarboniferous mate rial, the gravity of the oil, the amount of heavyhydrocarbon in the oil suitable for forming a part of the fuel, and,finally, upon whether the resulting product is to be the fuel itself ora binding composition to subsequently form part of a fuel. As anillustrative proportion, however, to produce a fuel it can be statedthat crude petroleum of 16 Baum having an asphaltic base will give aboutthirty percent. of the hydrocarbon suitable to make a first-class fuel.Of oil of this kind there would be required in proportion to each ton offine coal, assuming that as suitable carboniferous material, from threehundred to one thousand pounds crude, ac-

cording to the combustible value of the carboniferous material. Toproduce a binder from thesame materials, the proportion of crude oilmust evidently be increased on account of the subsequent addition ofother and probably inferior material to complete the fuel and which mustbe firmly bound into a homogeneous mass by the binder which is producedby this process. The mixture is now exposed to heat, preferably by beingcarried through a heated passage or oven in any suitable way, as by anordinary screw eonveyer, which keeps it in motion. The heat must besufficient to distill off the lighter series of hydrocarbons, whichescape and are condensed, and the heat is regulated so as to cause thedistillation to proceed to the point where a hydrocarbon of the desiredhardness for fuel purposes remains mixed with the other material. Thiscan be ascertained by taking and examining samples from the mass fromtime to time. When distillation has reached a satisfactory stage, themass is cooled down in any suitable way, as by surrounding a part of theconveyor with water. It is desirable that the cooling operation shouldim-,

mediately succeed the distilling operation without intermediate exposureto air, since it insures the condensation of all heavy hydrocarbonvapors in the pores of the carbonaceous or carboniferous material,increasing its combustibility as well as preventing the loss of any ofthe material. This manner of mixing and heating associates and binds theelements much better than when the mixing is done in the open air,giving the product a stability in the fire which is not otherwisesecured. When the mixture is made in the open air, the union is moresuperficial, while under the higher temperatures required fordistillation the hydrocarbons thoroughly penetrate the carbonaceous orCarboniferous material, and it becomes harder and firmer. After coolingthe mass is removed or discharged and made into briquets or suitableshapes.

The carboniferous material may be fine coal or any other suitablematerial of a carbonaceous or carboniferous character, among which maybe mentioned lignite, screenings, culm, dust, 86C.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process of producing an artificial fuel product which consists inmixing together a hydrocarbon and carbonaceous material, and subjectingthe same during mixture to heat, whereby partial distillation of thelighter hydrocarbons is effected.

2. The process of producing an artificial fuel product which consists inmixing together a hydrocarbon, and carbonaceous material in afinely-divided state, and subjecting the same during mixture to aprogressive heat, where by partial distillation of the lighterhydrocarbons is effected.

3. The process of producing an artificial fuel product which consists inmixing together petroleum and carbonaceous material, and subjecting themixture to an increasing degree of heat, whereby partial and progressivedistillation is effected.

4. The process of prod ucing an artificial fuel product which consistsin mixing together petroleum,and carbonaceous material in afinelydivided state, and subjecting the mixture to acontinuously-mereasing degree of heat, whereby partial and progressivedistillation is effected.

5. The process of producing an artificial fuel product which consists inmixing together a hydrocarbon and fine carbonaceous material, subjectingthe mixture to heat in a progressive degree, whereby distillation of thelighter hydrocarbons takes place successively leaving a combustibleresiduum, and then cooling said combustible residuum, before pressing.

6. The process of producing an artificial fuel product, which consistsin mixing together crude petroleum and fine carbonaceous material,agitating the mixture while exposed to heat and moving the same intorelatively hotter portions of the apparatus so as to expose the dividedparticles to the progressive heat, and effect the distillation of thelighter hydrocarbons in order and leave the heavier hydrocarbonsassociated with the corbonaceous material.

7. The composition of matter for artificial fuel composed of the residueobtained by the partial distillation of a mixture of hydrocarbon and acarbonaceous material.

8. The composition of matter for artificial fuel composed of the residueobtained by the partial progressive distillation of a mixture ofhydrocarbon and carbonaceous material in a finely-divided state.

9. The composition of matter for artificial fuel composed of the residueobtained by the partial distillation of a mixture of petroleum andcarbonaceous material under exclusion of air.

10. The composition of matter for artificial fuel composed of theresidue obtained by the partial distillation of a mixture ofpetroleumand carbonaceous material in a finely-divided state.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 24th day of May, 1901.

JOHN T. DAVIS. WVitnesscs:

L. WV. SuuLEY, F. M. BURT.

ITO

